Chapter 52: I’ll Be a Prospect Starting Today (4)

Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 52: I’ll Be a Prospect Starting Today (4)

Since Yoon A-young had agreed to join the party, Park Sung-jun was next.

No matter how much heroes talked about forming a party among themselves, it wouldn't happen unless the Clan Leader approved—unless, of course, they went freelance.

If I went to see him now, he’d undoubtedly demand a contract in exchange for giving me Yoon A-young. He was bound to seize this opportunity.

To be honest, with the reporters' eyes on us, having three prospects team up and climb the D-rank dungeons one floor a day would significantly boost Breakline’s reputation.

But that logic wouldn't fly with him. That jerk would take the benefits of the dungeon conquest for himself and then squeeze even more out of me since I was the one asking for Yoon A-young. He was a profit-obsessed opportunist to the extreme.

After requesting a meeting with Park Sung-jun, I headed upstairs. Just the thought of meeting him made the trip up annoying.

I took the elevator, which felt exceptionally slow today, and was greeted by a secretary who opened the door for me. It felt good to be treated like a VIP, but I would have enjoyed it much more if they hadn't tried to pull those stunts on me before.

"You're here."

I had already informed the secretary of the reason for my visit. This time, Park Sung-jun wasn't on the sofa; he was sitting at his desk, watching me with a meaningful glint in his eyes.

On his desk lay a stack of about five or six documents.

Is that my contract?

I stared at the papers—knowing they couldn't be anything else—as I approached the desk. Park Sung-jun, looking every bit like a villainous boss, leaned back in his black leather chair and studied me.

"So, you want Hero Yoon A-young?"

"As I mentioned before, I’ve trained Hero Kwon Ye-jin, and I intend to place her in Hero Yoon A-young’s party."

"And put Jeong Yeon-woo in that party as well? Having an Attacker like Yoon A-young would certainly be a huge help."

Park Sung-jun let out a smirk.

I was laying the groundwork by claiming my goal was to develop Kwon Ye-jin, while Park Sung-jun was framing it as me wanting Yoon A-young. Since the power dynamic shifted depending on which premise was accepted, we both stubbornly stuck to our own narratives.

"Public interest is currently focused on Kwon Ye-jin’s progress. Her rank has jumped sixty spots since last week, making Breakline the only clan with three heroes in the D-rank Prospect Top 10."

For ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the record, I hadn't even been on the rankings because of my long hiatus, but I had recently shot up hundreds of places.

"If we group the prospects together now, public interest will only grow."

"Ah, is that the kind of talk you came here for? Stop that and tell me your true intentions."

Park Sung-jun waved his hand dismissively. He was acting like he held all the cards. I figured it was time to stop testing the waters and speak plainly.

"I will form a party with Yoon A-young and Kwon Ye-jin."

"So you're finally returning as a hero, Manager Jeong Yeon-woo... No, you're a Hero now. Was it around this time last year that Hero Jeong Yeon-woo ran away from his first dungeon? Time flies. It feels like yesterday, but it’s already been a year."

He was pretending to reminisce while subtly taking a jab at me.

After the body's original owner changed and I gave him a taste of his own medicine, Park Sung-jun had been cautious. But today, he was openly mocking me. Seeing how he was trying to suppress me, he was definitely going to bring up the contract.

"So, since your contract is about to expire, we should discuss a renewal, shouldn't we?"

Park Sung-jun revealed his true colors with a loathsome smile.

"It was a one-year contract, so there’s still a month left."

"If there's a month left, it's time to start discussing it. If anything, it feels a bit late."

Park Sung-jun pushed the documents on his desk toward me. I picked up the contract and scanned it in silence.

Ten years?!

What kind of clan offers a term like that to a hero? He was clearly determined to suck me dry to the bone. The pay wasn't bad, but the clauses regarding what would happen if I left the clan were perfectly airtight.

As I scrutinized the contract, Park Sung-jun spoke casually.

"Hero Jeong Yeon-woo, you have a younger sister, don't you?"

I looked up from the contract and slowly met Park Sung-jun’s smiling face. Why was he bringing that up ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠now?

I had never actually met her, but the original owner of this body did have a younger sister. In his memories, they weren't exactly on the best of terms, but then again, siblings who actually get along are the real rarity.

"When you attract public attention, you also attract the gaze of villains and people with ill intentions."

"... ..."

"The clan also serves as a breakwater, protecting the heroes and their kin from such threats."

Wow~ I’ve never even seen her face, but the clan is so kind to protect my family~

Did he really think I’d say that? I stared at him, dumbfounded. Bringing family into this was crossing the line.

It was true that clans everywhere provided many benefits to heroes. Heroes cleared dungeons, but they also fought villains and saved people from disasters. With the Jewel of Life, there was no risk of death inside a dungeon, but the world outside was different.

It wasn't a world where monsters roamed the streets, and there were no international conflicts, so villains were more active. As a hero's rank rose, they often had to deal with villains, and clans provided extensive support so that heroes risking their lives could focus on their missions with peace of mind.

One of those supports was protecting family members who could be taken hostage by villains.

So why was Park Sung-jun bringing up this obvious fact? Because he was the "ill-intentioned bastard" himself.

Though he spoke of protection, Park Sung-jun, who was clearly threatening me, maintained a nonchalant expression.

"Breakline isn't a massive clan, but we can certainly provide enough protection from villains."

I'm sure you can. Because the moment you back off, the bad guys targeting my family will disappear. To threaten and offer protection at the same time... he really was the ultimate efficiency freak.

And this guy was even worse than I thought. There was a staff member who had insulted Kwon Ye-jin, asking if she’d come to the wrong place and should have looked for a Villain Alliance instead—well, she had found the right place after all.

Since the Clan Leader was a villain, it wouldn't be wrong to call this place a Villain Alliance in its own right. Not all villains are evil, and not all heroes are good. I’ve lived too long to believe in such naive dreams.

But of all the heroes, the original owner of this body had to belong to a clan led by a piece of trash. He really was a pitiful guy, destined to be kicked around his whole life.

I suppose I’ll have to step up for the poor guy whose life never seemed to go right. I placed the contract back on the desk and gave a thin smile.

"Let's do it. The contract."

Perhaps not expecting me to agree so readily, Park Sung-jun eyed me suspiciously.

"But not right now."

"You're thinking of something else."

"No. I just think my market value will rise in a week or two. Let's sign then. If you re-evaluate my worth at that time and match a Rookie Max contract, I'll sign without objection. Also, I need to hand over my current duties. Oh, should we record this just to be sure?"

I pulled out my smartphone, turned on the recording function, repeated what I just said, and then looked at Park Sung-jun, speaking firmly.

"I will definitely sign with Breakline. Happy? I'll send the clip to you via text."

"There's no need for that."

Seeing that I had seemingly surrendered, Park Sung-jun flipped one of his own cards. He picked up a ballpoint pen from his desk and twisted the cap; a blue LED light flickered a few times before disappearing.

Hmph. So he records every conversation in the Clan Leader's office.

As I stared at the pen-shaped recorder, Park Sung-jun shrugged as if it were nothing.

"A lot of things are necessary for business."

"Right. All sorts of things happen."

I gave him a smile and walked out of the office.

With this, I had become a hero of Breakline—albeit a prospective one. Since I had stated I would sign, even if it was under duress, it would be difficult to just run away.

But then again, I can only sign a contract if Breakline still exists, right? If the clan called Breakline disappears, my word becomes void.

I didn't take it too seriously and headed back to my office.

A few days later.

I led Yoon A-young and Kwon Ye-jin toward the clan’s underground parking lot. Today was another day to increase our value.

"So this is the Thunderblue..."

"Cool, isn't it, Senior? People love it."

Kwon Ye-jin bragged about the pathetic Thunderblue.

N-Star, the knock-off app of the previous world... or was N-Star the original here? Anyway, Yoon A-young, who had seen the photos Ye-jin posted on N-Star, quietly stroked the Thunderblue.

I wondered if she’d be vain since she was treated as a top prospect, but looking at her face, she seemed to actually like the Thunderblue.

"Alright, it's our first sortie, so let's take a photo before we go."

Kwon Ye-jin extended her arm long so all three of us would be in the frame. Yoon A-young, who had looked annoyed at first, immediately struck a pose leaning against the Thunderblue’s hood once the camera was on her.

Thinking it was a good angle, Kwon Ye-jin sat on the hood as well, and I sat between them, looking into the lens.

"Okay, peace! Double peace~!"

Following Ye-jin’s lead, I held up both hands in V-signs for the photo.

We had five dungeons to clear today, so I got up immediately after the photo was taken, but Ye-jin and A-young were whispering to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠each other while looking at the screen.

"Senior, is this okay? Isn't it a bit... erotic?"

"... ... A lot of people will look at him strangely."

"Right? A man doing a double peace... I said it as a joke, I didn't think he'd actually do it."

"You have my number, right? Send it to me."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just keep this between us."

Why am I being left out? Why are only you two keeping it?

Not knowing what they were talking about, I watched them, and noticing my gaze, Ye-jin and A-young flusteredly hid the phone.

"Let's go, let's go! Master, we're busy today!"

The suspicious Kwon Ye-jin forced me into the Thunderblue, and we set off for the dungeon.

When we arrived near the dungeon, reporters who knew our destination pointed their cameras at us.

The Strategy Department was currently in a state of chaos. On the internet, people were seeing us in the Thunderblue and swearing at Breakline, asking if they were too poor to support their prospects.

The Support Team, which had been hounded relentlessly, begged me to take a van they’d provide, but I refused.

Honestly, the clan deserved to be cursed at more.

Kang Jeong-mi, the head of the Strategy Department, had called me in and said, as if doing me a huge favor, that they would provide proper support now that Yoon A-young had joined.

Seeing her cling to her pride ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠until the very end, I coolly told her no thanks and walked out, arriving at the dungeon in the Thunderblue as planned.

Kang Jeong-mi had gritted her teeth and told me she’d see how long I could stay so arrogant, but well, I was curious to see how long her pride would last too. All she had to do was say "I'm sorry," but apparently, that was too much for her.

They seemed to be trying to spread an online narrative that I was the one refusing support, but who would believe that? Those posts were quickly buried under a mountain of angry comments.

The Thunderblue entered the restricted area near the dungeon. As we stepped out, reporters shouted questions at us.

"It's okay, you'll get used to it soon, Senior."

Though she was a prospect, Yoon A-young had never received this much flash photography. As she stared at the reporters, Kwon Ye-jin spoke pompously. Beside the dazed A-young, Ye-jin was having the time of her life, posing for the cameras.

She might look like that now, but she’s focused once we’re in the dungeon, so it doesn't matter. In fact, relaxing before a battle with monsters is more helpful.

I didn't answer the reporters' questions. After finishing the dungeon check-in, we stepped inside.

A heat entirely different from the outside air hit us. The dungeon, filled with active volcanoes, looked like the end of the world.

After checking our communications and equipment, I turned to the two of them.

"From this moment on, I am the Party Leader. No honorifics, and I give all the orders."

"Understood~!"

"... ... Yeah, got it."

Kwon Ye-jin gave her usual response, while Yoon A-young stared intently at my changed expression before nodding.

"Now that we have a melee Attacker like Yoon A-young, we’re finishing this in 20 minutes."

"What?"

"Aww, that’s impossible, Master. The terrain is disadvantageous for Senior, too. Just running a full lap would take more than 20 minutes."

Yoon A-young and Kwon Ye-jin couldn't believe my words.

Why not? The party roles are finally properly balanced.

"The record for the fastest clear of the D-6 dungeon is 24 minutes, right? Let's get a little more famous."

If they didn't believe me, I just had to prove it.